SIR JOHN FROISSART
Chronicles of England, France, Spain and the adjoining countries
from the latter part of the reign of Edward II to the coronation of Henry IV. Vol.10
page 377

quire unarmed, having only a fhort cutlafs, not two feet long, which, however, he drew, and de-fended himfelf with it as well as he could. His fervants, being quite defencelefs, were foon dif-perfed. Some of fir Peter's men afked, if they* were to murder all ? * Yes/ replied he,4 all who put themfelves in a pofture of defence."
They could not refift the attack, for they were but eight, and without armour. Sir Peter's men fully intended to murder the conftable, and their mafter wiflied nothing more than to fee it done ; but, as I heard from fome of thofe who had been in this attack, the moment they learnt that the perfon they were affafEnating was the conftable of France, their arms became, as it were, nervelefs' through furprife, and • their blows were given' weakly and through fear, for in perpetrating wick* ednefs none are bold.
The conftable parried the blows tolerably well with his fhort cutlafs ; but his defence would have been of no avail, if God's providence had not -proteâed him. He kept, fteady on horfeback fome tiroe7 until he was villainoufly ftruck on the back part of his head, which knocked him off his horfe. In his fall, he hit againft the hatch of a baker's door, who was already up to attend to his bufinefs and bake his bread. Having heard the fioife of horfes on the caufeway and high words, the baker had, fortunately for the conftable, half opened the hatch ; and fir Oliver, falling againft it, burft it quite open and rolled into the fhop/ Thofe on horfeback could not follow him, as tfce :' . • entrance
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